Lenticular lenses are well known for use in optical systems to produce various types of unique optical effects. The known lenticular lens systems generally include a transparent sheet having a plane surface on one side thereof and on the other side, a series of parallel longitudinal ridges which can have near-parabolic or circular smooth surfaces creating a multi-lenticular system of convex lenses. An ink layer, print sheet, print medium, or like printed image is generally disposed at the back of the lens adjacent to or on the plane surface. The image layer can contain, for example, an interlaced image having at least two alternate series of spaced image lines, each series of image lines constituting a dissection or breakup of a master picture. The two series of image lines are so optically related with respect to the lens elements as to be alternately visible upon positional change of the viewer with respect to the lenses. When viewed from one position, the first series of image lines are visible so as to display the first composite picture. When viewed from a second position, the second
The same lenticular lens system can also be used to produce a three-dimensional image effect. In forming such effects, the two images respectively constitute a right eye view of an object and a left eye view of the same object in normal visual parallax. The lenticular lenses are placed to lie along a line perpendicular to an imaginary line drawn through the two pupils of the eyes of the viewer. In this manner, the convex lenses provide the desired optical effect to divert light rays from the image lines making up the right eye elements of the picture into the right eye of the viewer and, in the same way, the left eye elements of the picture into left eye of the viewer, thereby creating the illusion of three-dimensional vision in the viewer's mind.
Lenticular optical systems have found numerous uses including toys, pins, and other types of articles and devices, such as for teachings devices, wherein questions appear in one view and the answers to these questions appear in the other view; medical devices for viewing changes in x-rays, specimens, photography, printing, and visual aid systems.
A popular application of lenticular image systems has been for use in decorative or informational displays on utility or fanciful articles, such as on containers, packaging, promotional articles, and like applications. One advantage of lenticular image systems when used in display applications is increased customer awareness of and demand for the lenticular associated product. Another advantage of lenticular image systems when used in display applications is customer perception of added-value, for example, a utility article such as a beverage container having lenticular imagery may develop collectable, artistic, sentimental, or like value. Still another advantage of lenticular image systems in display applications is the ability to provide greater image density or multiple-image content per unit area compared to conventional or non-lenticular image displays.
A competitive disadvantage of conventional products having a lenticular display is the need for an underlying support structure, retention structure, or both structures, and the accompanying cost and complexity of the product's manufacture, for example, an injection molded article bearing a lenticular display.
Thus, it is desirable to have lenticular display articles that can overcome the need for underlying structure, and economical methods of making the articles or devices comprising the lenticular displays.